Feb 7 Vertx Gamut EDC Bag - Review

Vertx is the tactical branch of the Fechheimer clothing company. Fechheimer specializes in EMT, Fire, Police and the like's clothing and equipment. Vertx specifically focuses on "tactical" applications. One of my buddies here in Nashville picked up one of their Gamut EDC backpacks from a local retailer and was showing it to me. I could tell from the layout and organization that this might be one of the best EDC bags on the market today...

Materials

The Gamut EDC is a 28L bag with dimensions of approximately 22 x 14 x 7. It's made of a new material Cordura Lite (approx 210-320 denier) which seems to be a a good compromise between fabric weight and durability (in contrast to Maxped's 1050 Denier Nylon).

It also makes use of Hypalon zipper covers to maximize the water resistance, I personally can attest to this feature's effectiveness after my walk into work yesterday in a deluge. Another thing that I'll point out and go into more later is the velcro interior. The rear of the main compartment, and the CCW/Laptop pouch is also velcro covered.

Layout

This is a heavily feature rich bag, so in the interest of staying on track let's work front to back.

On the front of the bag at the top we have a zippered pocket that I use as a catch-all for a microfiber cloth, nail clippers, gum, etc... You could use this to hold your sunglasses, or it even has a built in keeper for keys if you decided to go that route. This is the easiest pocket to access to it's generally my go-to.

Just below the dump pocket there's a reinforced flap that acts as a secondary grab handle. This is enormously convenient as the other grab handle is on the rear of the top of the bag and might take some searching to find if you needed to get up in a hurry.

Below the front grab handle there is a panel that is transformable. There's a panel of velcro backed MOLLE webbing that would allow you to attach a pouch or sheath depending on what you wanted. If you decide that you don't want MOLLE visible on the outside there's a patch that you can zip over the MOLLE concealing it. That flap has a couple different uses. You can either clip it over the MOLLE and leave it, there's a tab on it allowing you to quickly pull it down to gain access to something attached to the MOLLE, there's also a set of snaps attached to the zippers that will hold the flap in place creating a long pocket down the front of the pack. Lastly there are two hooks on nylon straps that you can hook to the outside of your pouch allowing you to carry a rolled up jacket or something similar.

Lastly, if you just want to leave the MOLLE panel exposed, the whole flap tucks into a pocket on the bottom of the bag. It's a great system that allows you to use the exterior of your bag in a multitude of ways.

On either side of the bag you have two bullet-style pouches. On the exterior of these pockets are stretchy pockets for a water bottle or umbrella... something that you need access to quickly. On the inside are various assortments of organization, we again see the primary trend of this Gamut, organization is key.

Let’s move onto the main compartment, this is where the Gamut really comes into it’s own. First off it’s accessed by dual zippers, can be held in place by two snaps right below the top “flap” of the front cover.

You can keep these snaps in place to prevent the bag from unzipping the entire way, undoing these snaps allows you to open up the bag from top to bottom. This is a really nice option, lets you decide if you want to access it from just the top, or lay the entire bag out flat on a table.

With the bag laid completely out you can see how the main compartment and all it’s pockets. At the very top of the flap you have 4 slips for pens, lights, knives or whatever catches your fancy.

Beneath those you have two zippered mesh pockets.

Inside, the bag the main compartment is divided in half. You have one side that’s a solid deep pocket to the bottom of the bag, the other (front) side has one more mesh pocket on it for carrying more stuff.

One last feature to highlight is the waterbladder/CCW/external pocket on the back of the bag. This doesn’t see a lot of use by me, but it will fit a laptop, or you can use one of Vertx’s velcro or “Tactigami” holsters to carry a firearm there if you choose.

To that end, Vertx leaves a larger pull on one of the zippers for fast access. I will be removing that right after this review is done.

Conclusion

All in all this bag is really well laid out. You’re able to access any of the contents quickly and efficiently. It’s decently sized for an adult man to wear and not suffer from the “Dora the Explorer,” issue that is sometimes prevalent in smaller backpacks. One consideration is…while being the LEAST tactical, tactical backpack I have run into… It is a black nylon bag, it does have MOLLE, and it does sorta suggest a black baseball cap with a velcro patch with an american flag on it… This is not a bad thing, but you need to evaluate it based on your style, and go from there. I think my next bag will be something with waxed canvas and leather.